Q: My dining room was carpeted. I removed the carpeting, pad & 5/8 ” sawdust board that was swollen and crumbling. I am left with 5/8″ plywood sheeting on the floor. I would like to install nail down oak flooring in one area and engineered cork flooring in another section.
Is the remaining 5/8″ plywood a sufficient base or do I need to add another layer of plywood?
Thanks,
JCL
A: If you intend to nail down you floor you will want to have 3/4″ of plywood subfloor to nail into. For your case, you should be fine putting a new layer of 1/2″ plywood over the current plywood you will have plenty of depth for the cleat to bite into.
You can get away with a bit less, perhaps add only 1/4″ if you are worried about floor height, but if you want to be sure add 1/2″ and you will be all set for your installation of the red oak. For the cork you are likely to be floating the floor as no cork is built for nail down, so just use the appropriate transitions and you will be set.
